Story By: William McGee, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News
Video Credit: CEN/@SoyacitySV
This footage shows brewery staff beating up customers who reportedly refused to pay their bill in a brawl that left one drinker apparently out cold with blood pouring from his head.
Videos of staff members from Cerveceria Chapultepec, a brewery based in the southern El Salvadoran capital San Salvador, beating up clients were widely circulated on social media.
Shocking footage even shows one victim lying passed out on the floor, smeared in his own blood.
Online critics noted that the beaten clients appeared to be outnumbered by the employees. They also pointed out that the brewery’s bouncer did nothing to break up the brawl.
Picture Credit: CEN/@SoyacitySV
But the staff had their share of defenders on social media after it emerged that the drunken group had allegedly refused to pay their bill.
Furthermore, one of them reportedly pulled out a knife and threatened a member of staff while another kicked a female employee, according to reports.
The staff involved also told local media that one of the clients used pepper spray on a waitress.
The brewery released a statement confirming that those involved had been dismissed, but did not state how many employees they let go over the incident.
The company also apologised, adding that they felt “shocked and ashamed”.
In a further twist to the tale, the city council has since fined the Chapultepec brewery as it emerged the venue was unlicensed to sell alcohol.
Netizens found humour in the incident with one complaining of the “poor service” and another asking “what do you expect when the beer is as cheap as 1.5 USD (1.2 GBP)?”.
El Salvador is no stranger to violence. The country occupies the unenviable top spot for intentional homicide rates. Luckily, no one was killed during this incident, although some will undoubtedly have sore heads.
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